1. Field
The disclosure is related generally to quantum dots and in particular to a method and apparatus for nondestructive inspection of structures. More particularly, the disclosure is directed to a method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for enhancing detection of corrosion on a surface of a structure by detecting quantum dots associated with the surface.
2. Background
During the manufacture, maintenance, and/or rework of many commodities, such as aircraft commodities, it can be extremely important to ensure that external and/or internal surfaces of the commodity do not have any corrosion.
Therefore, detection of corrosion may be very important. However, corrosion on a surface may be hidden or masked underneath layers of paint or other surface coatings. Destructive means of corrosion detection require the stripping or removal of paint and/or disassembly of parts and assemblies to identify corrosion. These processes are destructive, slow, inefficient, and may be cost prohibitive.
Currently available nondestructive corrosion inspection (NDI) is generally performed visually, using electromagnetic inspection, eddy current or ultrasonic inspection methods, which can measure metal thinning due to corrosion. However, these approaches require more inspections and disassemblies than would otherwise be required for a very early detection and monitoring capability. In addition, visual inspections require a technician or other maintenance personnel to visually inspect all surfaces for signs and evidence of corrosion, such as visible rust. This can be a time consuming, expensive, and unreliable process.
In addition, corrosion is often very difficult to detect under paint or other coatings, in remote areas, and/or in difficult to reach areas. For remote or limited access areas, visual inspection may be made possible through borescopes. Interpretation may frequently be difficult and sensitivity to corrosion may be limited with this approach because corrosion may appear similar to dirt, paint chips, or other foreign material.
Moreover, maintenance personnel and corrosion inspectors must wait until corrosion on a surface is substantial enough to be detected visually. By the time the corrosion is detected by these means, the corrosion may have resulted in greater damage to the commodity, and a correspondingly higher cost of rework, than if the corrosion had been detected at an earlier time.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for non-destructive corrosion detection.